LOS ANGELES, May 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past several years, numerous studies have come out showing the many health benefits that a sleeve gastrectomy, and weight loss surgery in general, can have for severely obese patients. More recently, a study conducted by Italian researchers and published in the Journal of Surgical Research, showed that obese patients suffering from an overactive bladder tend to see notable improvements in their symptoms after successfully losing weight with a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. This is the same procedure frequently performed by Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S. of Dr. Feiz and Associates in Beverly Hills. Dr. Feiz and his team are excited by the positive news associated with this procedure, and would like to remind patients of the many other conditions that the procedure can help improve:

Type 2 Diabetes – Since Type 2 diabetes is often directly associated with obesity, it makes sense that weight loss surgery produces positive health outcomes for patients suffering from diabetes. It was proven both that weight loss surgery can make it less likely that those at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes will develop the disease, and that bariatric surgery can actually send the disease into remission if a patient already has it.

Heart Disease – Heart disease is another condition that becomes more common in obese individuals, yet, as with diabetes, it can be improved significantly with excess weight loss. One study found that having weight loss surgery could lower a patient's chance of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 50 percent. Another study showed that weight loss surgery increases patient life expectancies in general, giving patients a 13.8 percent ten year mortality rate compared to a 23.9 percent ten year rate for those who did not have surgery.

Joint Pain – Because carrying around excess weight puts an incredible amount of stress on joints, the fact that losing weight with bariatric surgery reduces joint pain may not come as a surprise to most people. While the subjectivity of pain makes this effect slightly more difficult to measure, one study concluded that there was "significant improvement in patient reported [knee osteoarthritis]-related pain and disability" after weight loss surgery.

Whether severely obese patients are motivated to elect weight loss surgery to help with their overactive bladder symptoms, their knee pain, or if they simply want to live a longer life for themselves and their family, it is becoming more and more apparent that weight loss surgery is the way to go. Although weight loss surgery has been proven to be as safe as many routine procedures including gallbladder surgeries and appendectomies, it is still important to choose a skilled surgeon like Dr. Feiz who boasts a zero percent mortality rate. For more information about the sleeve gastrectomy, or to schedule a consultation today, you can call Dr. Feiz and Associates at (800) 868-5946 or visit them online at www.drfeiz.com.